bia food for spring
Catherine Fulvio
Kevin Dundon
Roz Purcell
1 Rory O’Connell
Welcome! At last, the days are getting longer and the menu is changing to reflect the arrival of fresh spring produce, packed full of goodness. Growning up on a farm, spring was a busy time, with the cows brought back out into the fields and eggs gathered every morning. Fresh buds form on the trees and the earth comes to life again. I like the turning of the seasons and all that it brings in the garden and the greengrocer’s, but I especially like the arrival of spring – it’s uplifting! As the RTÉ Guide’s food writer, I am delighted to introduce you to ten recipes that will make you feel like spring is really here. They feature some seasonal ingredients like wild garlic, sorrel and lamb, but they are also easy and delicious to prepare at any time of the year. I am joined by three of my favourite fellow cooks – Kevin Dundon, Roz Purcell and Rory O’Connell – to bring you some great ideas for simple yet flavoursome food. They are a balanced selection too, with tasty dishes from the basic food groups: meat, fish and vegetarian as well as a couple of sweet treats to finish any cosy meal. go raibh an bia blasta! Catherine Fulvio ballyknocken.ie
Contributors Kevin Dundon
Rory O’Connell
Catherine Fulvio
Roz Purcell
Kevin Dundon is one of the country’s best-known chefs. From his base at the boutique hotel Dunbrody House on the dramatic Hook Head in Co Wexford, where he and his wife Catherine have created a very special experience for their guests in the hotel and in the cookery school. Kevin also collaborates with SuperValu, sharing his love of fresh produce and lots of great recipes. Try out some of Kevin’s recipes and handy tips at supervalu.ie
Combining modern Irish food with farm-to-fork principles, Catherine takes on traditional Irish recipes and gives them her own twist, often Italian, to reflect the abundance of ingredients available on her doorstep. The recipes here are taken from her latest cookbook, A Taste of Home (Gill), a food story from Ballyknocken House in the gentle rolling hills of Co Wicklow, which has been home to generations of Catherine’s family for over 100 years. 2
One of the founders of the world-famous Ballymaloe Cookery School, Rory worked for many years with Myrtle Allen as chef at Ballymaloe House. In his 30 years of teaching, he has taught many of the stars of the international cooking scene, including Thomasina Miers, Rachel Allen and Stevie Parle. Rory continues to teach at the school and he has also published an award-winning cookbook, Master It. The recipes here are taken from his second cookbook, How to Cook Well (Gill).
Roz is a successful cookery author and has created a media career to follow her years as one of the country’s best known models. She won Come Dine with Me Ireland, appeared as guest chef on The Restaurant and had a stint as a Celebrity Bainisteoir. Her passion for healthy food and lifestyle has made her a social media star and author (she shares her passion for food on her blog naturalbornfeeder.com). The recipes here are taken from her new cookbook, Half Hour Hero: Real Food, Real Fast (Penguin Ireland).
Contents 4
Sorrel, wild garlic & potato soup Catherine Fulvio
6 Spinach fritter with poached eggs & roast tomatoes
Catherine Fulvio
8 Chilli prawns with quinoa & basil pesto
Kevin Dundon
10 Peanut, squash & chickpea curry
Roz Purcell
12 One-pot Spanish chicken & sweet potatoes
Kevin Dundon
14 Spiced braised leg of lamb
Rory O’Connell
16 Piri piri chicken tray bake
Roz Purcell
18 Tomato haddock with asparagus & prosciutto
Catherine Fulvio
20 Tuscan desert apple, lemon & almond cake
Rory O’Connell
22 Raw peanut butter brownie cake
Roz Purcell
Cover image: Raw peanut butter brownie cake, from Half Hour Hero: Real Food, Real Fast by Roz Purcell (Penguin Ireland) Photography by Joanne Murphy 3
Recipe from A Taste of Home by Catherine Fulvio (Gill), in all good bookshops
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Sorrel, wild garlic & potato soup Catherine Fulvio says: “We grow sorrel, wild garlic and potatoes in our vegetable garden in Ballyknocken, so this is a real home-grown meal for us! Sorrel can be tricky to find in shops, but it has a lemony bite to it, making it perfect with the wild garlic in this recipe” Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tbsps rapeseed oil 2 medium onions, finely diced Small bundle wild garlic, chopped 1 tbsp chopped parsley 3 medium potatoes, diced 1.2 litres vegetable stock 100g sorrel, trimmed and roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish 100ml cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the wild garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes, then stir in the parsley and potatoes. 2 Add the stock and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the sorrel and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add to a blender and purée until smooth. Return to the saucepan and then add the cream. Add some more stock if it’s too thick. Reheat gently, check the seasoning, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper as required. To serve, ladle into warm soup bowls and garnish with chopped sorrel.
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Recipe from A Taste of Home by Catherine Fulvio (Gill), in all good bookshops
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Spinach fritters with poached eggs & roast tomatoes Catherine says: “We like to vary our breakfast menu for our B&B guests at Ballyknocken and the spinach here goes incredibly well with poached eggs. We have plenty in the garden, so using spinach that is picked on the day makes this even more special. Serves 2 Ingredients For the tomatoes 10 cherry tomatoes on the vine, washed 2 garlic cloves, sliced 5 small sprigs of basil Olive oil, for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the poached eggs 2 large free-range eggs Salt 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 bay leaf Sprigs of basil, to garnish Method 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line a roasting tray with parchment paper. Place the tomatoes, garlic slices and a few sprigs of basil into the tray. Drizzle over some oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 18 to 20 minutes, carefully turning from time to time. 2 Remove the tomatoes from the oven, snip them into clusters of 2 or 3, keeping them on the vine, and keep warm. 3 To prepare the fritters, mix the plain flour, baking powder, paprika, salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a medium bowl. Combine the egg and milk in a jug. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until a smooth, thick batter forms. Check the consistency – the batter should drop easily from the spoon. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon or so of flour; if it’s too thick, add a little milk. Then stir in the chopped spinach.
For the fritters 100g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 free-range egg, beaten 50ml milk, you may need a little more Large handful spinach leaves, finely chopped
4 Heat a small amount of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and spoon the batter into the oil – roughly 2 to 3 tbsps per fritter. Cook for about 1½ minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove to a large plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm. 5 To poach the eggs, fill a small saucepan two-thirds with boiling water, add a little salt, the vinegar and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil. Crack an egg into a cup. Stir the boiling water to form a vortex and then carefully add the egg to it. Do the same for the next egg. Reduce the heat slightly and poach for about 3 to 4 minutes. 6 For each serving, pile 3 fritters onto a warm plate and spoon the roasted cherry tomatoes around. Place a poached egg on top and sprinkle a little coarsely ground black pepper over it as well as some basil sprigs.
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Recipe from SuperValu anbassador Kevin Dundon
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Chilli prawns with quinoa & basil pesto Serves 4 Ingredients 20 raw king prawns 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 1 red chilli, chopped 2 tbsps olive oil 300g quinoa, rinsed 100g basil pesto Salt and pepper Squeeze of lemon juice A few fresh basil leaves 12 piccolo cherry tomatoes Method 1 Place the prawns in a bowl with the garlic, shallot, red chilli and olive oil. Stir well, cover with cling-film and marinate for 10 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Pour the quinoa into the pan and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or as per the packet instructions. Drain the quinoa well and place in a bowl. Pour in the pesto, then mix well with a fork and set aside. 3 Heat a large sautĂŠ pan over a high heat and add the marinated prawns. SautĂŠ for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. 4 Divide the quinoa between four dishes and top with the warm prawns, a few fresh basil leaves and the cherry tomatoes.
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Recipe from Half Hour Hero: Real Food, Real Fast, by Roz Purcell (Penguin Ireland)
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Peanut, squash & chickpea curry Roz Purcell says: “You can blitz the leftovers of this curry into an epic peanut and squash curry soup. All you have to do is add some vegetable stock to suit your slurping preference!” Serves 4 Ingredients 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and spiralized 1 x 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk 4 tbsps crunchy peanut butter 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 60g dried fruit, such as raisins, sultanas, goji berries or chopped pitted dates 2½ tbsps good-quality curry powder (check to make sure there’s no added sugar) 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp chilli powder (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 200ml water To serve 1 tsp chopped fresh coriander Cooked brown or wild rice 1 lime, cut into wedges Method 1 Melt the coconut oil in a wide-bottomed saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes before adding the squash. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 5 minutes. 2 While this is cooking, put the coconut milk and peanut butter in a smoothie maker or small blender and blitz until no lumps are visible. 3 Now back to the saucepan. The squash will have softened but still have a bit of bite, which is perfect. Add the chickpeas, dried fruit, spices and some salt and pepper. Turn up the heat to high and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the water and let it boil for 2 minutes more before removing the pan from the heat. 4 Once the curry stops bubbling, pour in the coconut and peanut mixture and keep stirring until it thickens up slightly. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the chopped fresh coriander and serve with the rice and a lime wedge on the side.
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Recipe from SuperValu anbassador Kevin Dundon
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One-pot Spanish chicken & sweet potatoes Serves 6 Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Ingredients 2 tbsps olive oil 2 large onions, sliced 1 aubergine, diced 3 garlic cloves, chopped 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 3 large sweet potatoes, sliced Salt and pepper 2 x 500g jars of tomato passata 2 tbsps smoked paprika 2 tbsps chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish Method 1 Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onions, aubergine and garlic and sautĂŠ for 3 to 4 minutes, until coloured. Transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside. 2 Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the pan you cooked the vegetables in. Add the chicken thighs and sweet potatoes and sautĂŠ for 5 minutes or so, until coloured on all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables back to the pan along with the passata and smoked paprika. 3 Cover the pan and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Check the seasoning and serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley.
Tip: Make a double batch and freeze half for another day.
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Recipes from How to Cook Well, by Rory O’Connell (Gill)
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Spiced braised leg of lamb Rory O’Connell says: “This is an unusual recipe in that some of the spices are ground and some are left whole. Buy the best-quality curry powder or make your own for even better results. Ask your butcher to remove the aitch bone from the leg of lamb, as this will make carving easier when the meat is cooked” Serves 8-10 Ingredients 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil 1 x 3.5kg leg of lamb, aitch bone removed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 425ml chicken stock 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander Spice mix 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 dsp chopped fresh rosemary 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 3 tsps cumin seeds, left whole 2 tsps best-quality or homemade curry powder 1½ tsps cumin seeds, lightly roasted and ground 1 tsp coriander seeds, left whole ½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly roasted and ground Method 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Combine the garlic, herbs and spices in a bowl. 3 Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole set over a moderate heat and gently brown the meat on all sides, turning it several times to achieve an even result. If you don’t have a casserole big enough to hold the leg of lamb, you can use a deep, heavy roasting tray instead. Browning the meat will take 10-15 minutes, so be patient with it, turning the meat as necessary. When the meat is browned, discard the oil and any fat that has rendered out of the lamb. 4 Season the meat with salt and pepper and cover with the spice mixture. Some of it will fall off the lamb, but that’s fine. Pour the stock into the casserole, avoiding the spice crust so that it doesn’t get washed off the surface of the lamb.
To serve Mashed potatoes Lemon wedges Fresh coriander leaves
5 Place a tight-fitting lid on the casserole, or if using a roasting tray, cover the lamb with a sheet of greaseproof paper and tightly seal the entire tray with foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1½ hours. 6 When the lamb is cooked, remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 100°C. Place the meat on a serving dish and keep warm in the oven. De-grease the cooking liquid by carefully spooning off any excess fat and return it to the saucepan. 7 Discard the fat. Scrape about half of the spice mixture off the meat into the liquid. Simmer to thicken the juices just slightly and to strengthen the flavour. Taste and correct the seasoning, then stir the chopped coriander into the gravy. 8 Carve the lamb into slices and serve with mashed potatoes, lemon wedges and a few whole coriander leaves and a sauceboat of gravy to pass around at the table. 15
Recipe from Half Hour Hero: Real Food, Real Fast, by Roz Purcell (Penguin Ireland)
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Piri piri chicken tray bake Roz Purcell says: “Tray bakes couldn’t be easier – just throw everything onto a baking tray and pop it in the oven. If I’m prepping these ahead of time, I put all the ingredients in a Zip-loc bag so that I can just tip it out onto the tray as soon as I walk in the door” Serves 3 Ingredients 2 tbsps olive oil 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp paprika 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp apple cider vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 chicken legs or thighs (or a mix of both), skin on and bone in 3 red peppers, sliced 2 corn on the cob, each one cut into thirds 200g Brussels sprouts, halved (optional) 6-7 birdseye chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved Method 1 Pre-heat the oven to 210°C. 2 Put the olive oil, oregano, paprika, honey, vinegar and some salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the chicken, peppers, corn, sprouts (if using), chillies and garlic and stir to coat the chicken and veg in the spicy oil. 3 Tip everything out onto a large baking tray or roasting tin and cook in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the veg are tender.
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Recipe from A Taste of Home by Catherine Fulvio (Gill), in all good bookshops
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Tomato haddock with asparagus & prosciutto Catherine says: “This is one of the most popular fish dishes that we make in our cookery school, yet it’s easy and can be done in a flash” Serves 4 Ingredients For the tomato base Rapeseed oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 200ml passata ½ orange, zest only 2 tsps oregano, chopped ½ tsp celery seeds Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the roast tomatoes 250g cherry tomatoes on the vine 1 tsp chopped rosemary 1 tbsp chopped chives 12 asparagus spears, trimmed For the fish 4 x 170g haddock or cod fillets 100g prosciutto di Parma Sprigs of rosemary, to serve Method 1 Heat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. To make the tomato base, heat a little oil in a shallow casserole dish on the hob,add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the passata, orange zest, oregano and celery seeds and simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2 For the roast tomatoes, place the tomatoes on the vine on top of the sauce, drizzle over a little rapeseed oil, add the rosemary and chives and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the asparagus to rapidly boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and then place in ice-cold water. 3 For the fish, place 3 spears of the blanched asparagus on each fillet and wrap with prosciutto di Parma. Place in the casserole dish around the cherry tomatoes and return to the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Delicious served with garlic and rosemary roast potatoes. 19
Recipes from How to Cook Well, by Rory O’Connell (Gill)
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Tuscan dessert apple, lemon & almond cake Rory O’Connell says: “I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart, but in any event it is delicious and quite easy to make. The origins of the recipe are from Tuscany in Italy, but I like to use highly perfumed Irish dessert apples when in season. Look out for some lesser-known Irish dessert apples, such as Irish Peach and Ard Cairn Russet. Serves 8 Ingredients 4 dessert apples Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 250g + 1 dessertspoon caster sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 150ml cream 110g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing 125g whole almonds, blanched, peeled and ground to a fine powder in a food processer, or ground almonds 110g plain flour, sieved 1½ tsps baking powder, sieved Apricot glaze 100g apricot jam 1 tbsp lemon juice To finish 2 tbsps chopped sweet geranium leaves (optional) Softly whipped cream Method 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Line a 28cm flan ring with a removable base with a disc of non-stick baking paper. The paper should be in one piece and it should cover the base and sides of the tin and come 1cm above the edge of the tin. Brush the paper with a little melted butter.
2 Peel, core and quarter the apples, then cut into slices about 3mm thick. Mix with the lemon zest. 3 Whisk the 250g of sugar with the eggs and vanilla to a thick, light consistency similar to a batter. Whisk in the cream and cooled melted butter. Fold in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder. Add three-quarters of the sliced apples, being careful not to break up the apple slices. 4 Pour the mixture into the prepared flan ring and gently smooth the surface. Scatter the remaining apples over the surface and sprinkle with the dessertspoon of caster sugar. 5 Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and cook for a further 40 minutes, by which time the tart will feel gently set. It may be necessary to cover the tart during the cooking time with a sheet of non-stick baking paper if the tart is getting too dark. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. 6 While the tart is cooling, make the apricot glaze. Warm the apricot jam and lemon juice in a small saucepan to just soften the jam. Don’t allow it to boil or it will dull the flavour. Pass through a fine sieve, pushing through as much as you can. 7 While the tart is still warm, paint the surface with the apricot glaze to achieve a shiny finish. If using the chopped geranium, sprinkle it on immediately after glazing the tart. Serve warm with softly whipped cream. 21
Recipe from Half Hour Hero: Real Food, Real Fast, by Roz Purcell (Penguin Ireland)
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Raw peanut butter brownie cake Roz Purcell says: “Need a nifty dessert? Here’s one that you can prep in advance for parties or dinner guests to impress and destress. lt needs to set in the freezer for a few hours, but it takes only minutes to make” Serves 8 Ingredients For the base 50g dark chocolate 200g almonds 150g pitted dates For the topping 150g coconut oil 200g smooth peanut butter 150g maple syrup or agave L00g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped or crushed To decorate 60g dark chocolate Handful of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped Fresh mint leaves, torn Method 1 To make the base, break the chocolate into pieces .and put in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (a bain-marie), making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl, and let it melt. Or you could melt the chocolate in brief bursts in the microwave, stirring regularly. 2 Put the melted chocolate in a food processor with the almonds and dates and pulse until the mixture is like breadcrumbs. Tip into a 20cm springform tin and press down firmly to create an even layer. Set aside to chill in the fridge while you make the topping. 3 Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan set over a low heat. Stir in the peanut butter and maple syrup until they are fully combined with the oil – you don’t want these ingredients to separate. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts, then pour over the base. Put back in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, until set. 4 To serve, release the catch on the springform tin and remove the cake. Melt the chocolate the same way that you did before, then drizzle it all over.the top of the cake. Scatter over the peanuts and mint leaves, then cut into slices.
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2018